


Empty

by mediocrityatbest



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, platonic royality - Freeform, prompt fill i did just for fun, royality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23481919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediocrityatbest/pseuds/mediocrityatbest
Summary: Patton feels empty.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Kudos: 18





	Empty

Patton stared at his coffee table, mind flipping. He didn’t know what the problem was, but he felt kind of sad, kind of gone. Like a motel room whose guest checked out before their money was up. Or maybe that wasn’t quite right, maybe that didn’t convey the feeling he meant. Empty, lost, alone. That was right. It was exactly how he felt, despite the fact that all his friends had been in his house just an hour ago, hanging out. They had played through some more of their d&d campaign and Patton had been enjoying himself the whole time. But now that he was alone, he found himself slipping away from that sense of contentment like water through a sieve.

A knock on his door startled him back to animation and he dropped the mug in his hand. Tea spilled over the rug. Patton cursed quietly and threw a towel over it before going for the door. The stain would have to wait.

“Hey, Ro!” he exclaimed, seeing Roman’s face and then his body standing on Patton’s porch.

“Hey, Padre. I realized I forgot my jacket over here when I left, and I figured I’d stop back by for it.” Something in Patton’ chest collapsed but he forced the smile to stay and stepped back to let Roman in. He shoved the door shut behind him and followed him to the living room. Roman crossed to the chair by the kitchen and picked up the jacket, smile blinding just like it always was. Did Roman ever feel so disconnected from the moment they stood in?

“What’s that?” Roman asked, picking the towel up from the ground. “Pat, did you spill something?”

“Oh, you just surprised me when you knocked, kiddo!” Patton reassured him, taking the towel out of Roman’s hand and wadding it up. Roman’s eyes wrinkled, a telltale sign of his concern, and Patton laughed to dispel what was uncalled for. It wasn’t a big deal, not at all. “You know your dear old dad is just clumsy.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true,” Roman said slowly. Gallantly, he bowed. “As it was my intrusion that caused such a grievous wound to be inflicted on your innocent carpet, allow me.” He slipped out of the room before Patton could object to get cleaner, and Patton threw the soiled towel in the laundry basket.

“You really don’t have to do that, Ro,” he said. Roman knelt down on the ground.

“But what if I want to?” Roman responded, spraying the carpet.

“Then I guess I can’t stop you,” Patton said, hands on his hips. He didn’t  _ want _ Roman to leave, so why on earth was he trying to rush him out of his house? Whatever he was feeling didn’t make any sense at all.

“Patton?” Roman asked, and Patton jolted, looking up. Roman was staring at him, concerned. At some point, he had stood up and walked over to where Patton was standing.

“What’s up, kiddo?” Patton exclaimed, smile suppressing a cringe. How long had he been zoned out?

“Are you doing alright? I said your name like, three times,” Roman said, placing a hand gently on Patton’s shoulder. Patton felt a shudder run through him at the contact, saw that Roman seemed even more concerned now than he had a few minutes ago, and sighed.

“I-I don’t know,” Patton said shakily. “I felt fine earlier, but I’m kind of-” he wobbled his hand in the air. “I don’t know.”

“Hey, that’s okay. It happens sometimes,” Roman said. “Is there anything I can do?” Patton looked up at him, shrugging miserably. “Well, let’s see. I can make you food, or I can turn on a show. I can read. I can clean. I can ask somebody else to come over. I can give you a hug. I can stay the night, if you want me to.”

“Can I-I-” Patton forced a breath out and smiled up at Roman. “I am in desperate need of a hug, I think.”

“Of course,” Roman said, wrapping his arms around Patton without a second of hesitation. Patton’s eyes slid shut without his say, and he savored the feeling of safety there. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No,” Patton mumbled. “This is good. Well, maybe let’s sit on the couch.” Patton giggled quietly. Roman maneuvered them over to the couch and Patton never even had to open his eyes. Roman pulled Patton onto his chest, brushing his fingers through Patton’s curls gently. Tears slipped out of Patton’s eyes before he could stop them. It seemed this considerate kind of care was exactly what he needed.

“Oh, darling,” Roman said. “I am so sorry none of us noticed.” He swiped a finger carefully over Patton’s cheekbone, smudging away the tears. Patton shrugged helplessly as the tears kept coming.

“You’re allowed to cry,” Roman whispered. “I’ll hold you, okay?” That made the first sob burst out of Patton’s chest before he had the thought to stop it and after that it was like an avalanche or a downpour. He took a shuddering breath and it shot back out in jagged gasps that shook his whole body. Roman cooed over him the whole time, never once letting go.

They sat together, Patton letting out so many bad feelings that he had never understood ( _ why him, why did he feel so bad, why wasn’t there ever a reason, why why why _ ) while Roman held him securely in his arms and waited out the storm.

Once Patton’s breathing started to become less hitched and the tears had dried up, Roman quietly asked, “do you feel better?” Patton nodded shakily.

“Thank you, Ro. I appreciate it.” Patton forced a wobbly but genuine smile. “I appreciate  _ you _ .”

“But of course,” Roman agreed. “And I you, Padre. If you ever feel bad, all you have to do is call me. Or even text. I’ll be here in a second. You don’t have to feel like this alone.” Roman smiled. Patton snuggled into his chest.

“Thank you,” he repeated, voice muffled. Roman laughed softly, exhale ruffling Patton’s hair.

“Anytime, Padre. What’s family for?” Roman leaned to the side, tilting Patton with him, and then sat back up. He pressed something cold into Patton’s hands. “Drink this. You’re going to get all crusty and dehydrated.” Patton giggled but obligingly opened the water bottle and sipped at it. He felt less empty now that he had let so much out. It was contradictory and confusing, maybe, but he couldn’t complain with Roman’s deep, steady breaths under his head making him feel less alone.

Patton recapped the water and passed it to Roman to put back on the table. It was weird, kind of funny, that the way to get full of the good stuff would mean emptying out the bad stuff first. As tired as he was now, Patton did feel a little fuller. It wasn’t bad.

“Go to sleep,” Roman said, pressing a kiss into Patton’s hair. “I’ve got you.” Patton believed him and he let himself relax fully into Roman. Tomorrow, in the morning, Patton would get up and make breakfast for them both and maybe they could go to the park before either of them had to work. But for now, right now, Patton just let himself feel fuzzy and mellow and full and drift off into soft dreams of things that he wouldn’t have to worry about in the morning.


End file.
